WHEN Neville Herden threw Anne Tunningley’s hat over the school fence when they were kids, he wouldn’t have known he would marry her years later.
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The Tamworth-based duo say they didn’t like each other at first but, as fate would have it, they will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Saturday.
Neville, 84, loves Anne because she is kind, cooperative and “nothing is any trouble.”
While Anne, 81, says she loves Neville because he is appreciative of the things she does.
“He thanks me and I think that is just lovely,” she said.
Together they share nine children, 25 grand children and 20 great grand children, many of whom they will celebrate the special occasion with this weekend.
The duo grew up in Gunnedah and admit their relationship got off to a rocky start in the school yard at first.
“We went to the same school, but I didn’t like him at all,” Anne said.
“But he grew up I think.”
“We didn’t see eye to eye,” Neville said.
“We seemed to get closer when my sister,Mary, and Anne were good friends.
“I used to take Mary here, there and everywhere and Anne would have to come too. It all seemed to go from there.”
It was from there that Neville popped the big question and you could say the rest was history.
Anne told The Leader it was their many years of dating before marriage that contributed to them reaching their special milestone.
“We actually got to be really good friends in the many years we went together,” she said.
“We were together five-to-six years before we got married and I think that had a lot to do with it because we had a lot of things in common.
“We were both children off farms and that was a big connection and we always like to laugh a lot.”
As the couple celebrate their 60th anniversary, the couple’s grandson Beau will, coincidentally, tie the knot in Port Macquarie on Saturday.
“All the family will be there, so we will have a celebration over there,” Neville said.
As for advice for newly weds and married couples, Anne said one thing stood out on her mind.
“I have one main thing,” she said.
“If you have a disagreement, they always say you should never go to sleep on a disagreement … but I don’t particularly agree with that.
“Sometimes you can’t sort it out.
“But get up the next morning and forget about it because it wasn’t that important.
“Have a nice cheery good morning and that is the end of it.
“It will finish every argument, I can guarantee it.”
